Jakob Silfverberg

Raffi Torres took part in the Sharks’ pregame skate Thursday morning at SAP Center, then answered questions from reporters in his first interview about his 41-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of Jakob Silfverberg of the Anaheim Ducks. Story to come, but here’s the Q and A:

What was your reaction to the suspension?

“I was disappointed. I understand that part of the game, we were taking a big look at it to try and get that out of there. And you know, I’m a culprit. I’m the one that keeps making mistakes. But this one stung. It’s tough. I put the time in and the work, and all of the stuff that you need to be ready. I was actually feeling really good going into that game. So it’s unfortunate. I’m disappointed in myself for kind of losing my head for a second there, and it cost me. So I’ll try and put it behind me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it three times a day and just kind of, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be better, to be smarter and I made one mistake out there and it cost me. I understand that obviously, the history didn’t help, either. I feel like they had a job to do and it is what it is, and I’ll deal with it.”

The Sharks and Anaheim Ducks don’t expect any bad blood from last week’s Raffi Torres hit on Jakob Silfverberg to carry over into Saturday’s game at SAP Center.

“I’m not even thinking about the Torres hit,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think it’s going to be a physical game just because we have two big physical teams and there’s a lot at stake anytime we play. I don’t anticipate it’s because of anything that happened in the past.”

It’s been a week a since Torres clipped Silfverberg in the head with his shoulder at the Honda Center in the final preseason game for both teams. Torres, of course, received a 41-game suspension for the hit. Silfverberg did practice this week and will play in tonight’s game.

“He got his suspension, it was handed to him,” Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf told reporters Saturday morning. “We won’t see him for a long time and that’s a good thing.”

Raffi Torres issued an apology to Jakob Silfverberg, his teammates and the Sharks organization for his illegal hit to the head last week that led to a 41-game suspension from the NHL.

In a statement issued by the Sharks on Thursday, Torres said, “I accept the 41-game suspension handed down to me by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. I worked extremely hard over the last two years following reconstructive knee surgery to resume my NHL career, and this is the last thing I wanted to happen.

“I am disappointed I have put myself in a position to be suspended again. I sincerely apologize to Jakob for the hit that led to this suspension, and I’m extremely thankful that he wasn’t seriously injured as a result of the play. I also want to apologize to my Sharks teammates and the organization.”

Joe Pavelski probably said it best Wednesday after the Sharks finished their morning skate at Staples Center.

“It’s been a long offseason. We have some new editions and we’ve had a good training camp,” Pavelski said. “So now, it’s go time. We’re ready.”

The circumstances are a little bit different tonight than they were a year ago, when the Kings were raising their Stanley Cup Championship banner on opening night. Now each team figures to have a little bit of extra adrenaline after missing the 2015 playoffs.

Sharks center Logan Couture said it feels a little bit different than last year, but, “it’s still the same team. It’s still the Kings. We don’t like them, they don’t like us. I’m sure the building will have the same feel that it always does when we play these guys. It’s an exciting game to come to that everyone will be ready for.”

Sharks forward Raffi Torres will have a hearing Monday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety regarding his illegal hit to the head on Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg.
Torres has been suspended four times in his NHL career, but is technically not considered a repeat offender since he has not had any suspensions in the last 18 months. Still, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety guidelines state that “even if a player is not defined as a repeat offender, his past history may come into consideration when determining future supplemental discipline.”
That doesn’t bode well for Torres.
Here’s a brief rundown of his suspension history.

Sharks forward Raffi Torres is in danger of receiving another long term suspension from the NHL after he was given a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Jakob Silfverberg in the first period of San Jose’s game against Anaheim on Saturday at the Honda Center.

Torres was given a 10-minute misconduct and ejected from the game for the hit on the Ducks’ Silfverberg, which came with 7:15 to go in the first period. Silfverberg left the ice and did not return for the rest of the period.

According to NHL rules, any player who receives a match penalty player “shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue.”